How cold is TOO cold for a chicken?

[Akane]

Chickadees evolved to live in the cold. Chickens are domestic and some at least are from birds that evolved to warmer climates. That said lots of people raise chickens without insulated coops, electricity, or sometimes even a fully enclosed shelter in areas that reach -20 or colder. It's not cold until it hits 0 here. It depends on the breed but I doubt any fully feathered chicken would have trouble until it gets at least below freezing and probably not until 20F.

 

[SewingDiva]

Quote:
I fee the same way about people who live in hot sticky climates. Eew!

Phyllis

 

[SarahFair]

That would be me. I no likey either.
I want something that gets snow on a reg basis but not tooo cold (only had one white xmas in my life and dont really remember it

)
and somewhere thats not TOOOO hot in the summer. A nice 80 day would be niiiiiiiiiiiice

 

[mjdtexan]

Quote:
I fee the same way about people who live in hot sticky climates. Eew!

Phyllis

In 1999 I decided that I was going to move to Pennsylvania (Latrobe) because my children from my first wife lived there. I got the in autumm and it was ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. It quickly went downhill from there. First off, you have to go to something called a state store to buy beer. woof.
Second, I fell down more times than anybody else in the state that year do to snow. Its all nice a soft looking in the movies. Wrong. It gets so cold there I actually hurt all over. brrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Crazy Yankees.
You guys are a tough lot, I'll say that for ya.

Any how, spring came and I was outa there

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

We have temps of -20 during some spells of the winter & they all do okay. I do have a 250 watt heat lamp in the coop, but no insulation.

 

[antlers]

If they stay dry and can get out of the wind, they can take -20 easily. I still try to keep it about 32 in the coop though for water and eggs.

 

[ears73]

Quote:
How many chickens and what size coop?

I have 15 in a 10x10 which is partially insulated (if we get to it, the walls and ceiling will be done by winter). I am wondering how well they will do in the cold. All those feathers I am betting they will be warm - and the Cochin's feet! Doubly warm! I do not intend to add any additional light or heat (what is we have a power outage??).

 

[silkiechicken]

Mine choose to sleep in the outside of the tractor part and only go in when it goes into the low 20's. They seem happiest in temps between 40-60. Once into the 70's they start to pant and slow down.

 

[Montana-Hens]

My coop is insulated and vented. There is no electricity out there. I tried to size my coop to my number of chickens b/c they do generate plenty of heat and plenty of moisture.

I have already had lots of snow, single digits and had to swap out the frozen rubber water dishes.

I picked my ladies for the cold tollerance.

I would say if you plan it right there is no need for electricty in subzero winter weather.

 

[ears73]

Sounds fine, Montana-Hens. How many do you have and how big is your coop?